


The Foxes Visit Henrietta

by achillespelides



Category: All For the Game - Nora Sakavic, Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: the fic where the foxes have a game in VA and end up staying at the Barns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-07-26 14:42:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7578094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/achillespelides/pseuds/achillespelides
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam Parrish is an honorary Fox. He does not play exy, but he does, indeed, tutor all of the foxes as part of his scholarship. When the Foxes are discussing travel plans for their upcoming game in Virginia, Adam suggests that they all stay with him and Ronan at the Barns for the remainder of the weekend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“You can stay with me, if you want,” Adam suggests. He’s in the girls’ room in Fox Tower, sitting on the floor in a circle, eating Chinese out of a take out container with the Palmetto State Foxes. Adam is, by no means, an exy player. Yet, the Foxes are the only people he really hangs out with at PSU. Part of his full-ride scholarship entailed a work-study position of his choice; he opted to be a tutor, and ended up being paired with various members of the team. And eventually the study sessions led to hang out sessions which lead to Adam watching their practices and going to their games.

Which lead to this: Adam being involved in the discussion of the Foxes’ upcoming travel plans.

The Foxes were playing the Virginia State Hawks in two weeks, and it happened to be a holiday weekend. They could opt for their normal game schedule—drive up Friday morning, leave immediately after the game and sleep the remainder of Saturday—or they could take advantage of the long weekend and spend some time away from campus. Coach was fine getting hotel rooms for Friday night, but he wasn’t took keen on staying Saturday as well, let alone Sunday. It’d be expensive, and despite recently winning the NCAA Spring Championships, Wymack wasn’t eager to spend the extra money.

As the group sat arguing about other possibilities - like driving back Saturday morning then spending the remainder of the weekend in Colombia - Adam spoke up.

All of their eyes shift to him, shocked. “What?” Dan asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“Uh, when you play Virginia State,” he shrugs. “I’m from Virginia. I know I rarely ever come to your away games, but if I tag along you guys could crash at my place for the weekend. And for free.”

“Your place?” Allison asks, smirking. The Foxes didn’t know the details of Adam’s home life, but knew the basics of it: he was just about as fucked up as they all were.

“My boyfriend’s place, I mean. Our place,” Adam says, the phrase sounding weird in his mouth. He doesn’t want to think about how Ronan would react to him calling the Barns our place. “We live on a farm, basically. It’s a huge house, we have plenty of beds and space. And Henrietta’s less than an hour drive from VSU. You could drive over after the game Friday night and stay till Sunday or even Monday, if you like.”

“What about his parents?”

Adam averts his eyes, unsure of what to say. He settles on the truth, though, since he knows the Foxes won’t pry. “They’re dead.” Silence follows, but not for that long. Matt, luckily, senses the awkwardness and breaks it up.

“And we could seriously crash there?” Matt asks, his face lighting up. He and Dan share an excited look.

Adam shrugs again. “Why not?”

“And your boyfriend’s okay with this?” Dan asks.

Adam tries to keep his face as blank as possible. No, I’m not sure. He’ll probably kill me, but that’s okay, he wants to say. Ronan already hates having Adam over 6 hours away from him; there’s no way he’ll be thrilled that one of the few weekends he comes home their house will be crowded with college students. “Yeah, he’ll be fine,” Adam lies. He’ll deal with Ronan later.

“Look’s like we’re spending the weekend in Henrietta!” Dan smiles and the Foxes erupt. Adam laughs as Nicky hugs him tight, blabbing on about how excited he is to finally meet his boyfriend. Renee smiles at him supportingly. Andrew stares him down, but that’s not unusual. Neil gives him a casual smile.

Adam takes out his phone and decides on a simple text to send to Ronan: Hey, any chance you can dream up a couple of extra mattresses by next Friday?

xxxxxxx

The Foxes win the game, of course. The Hawks aren’t a terrible team, but they don’t have the same lineup as the Foxes. It’s a fairly easy win, but still a tiring game. The Foxes (plus Adam) shuffle tiredly onto the bus and settle into their seats.

“Lead the way, Parrish,” Wymack says once everyone’s settled down. Adam quickly tells the coach how to get to Henrietta and soon they’re on the road.

Ronan didn’t take it as badly as Adam thought he would. He wasn’t necessarily happy about this plan, but he wasn’t angry. He even said he was “excited" to meet Adam’s friends, which had almost made Adam choke on his soda.

After about forty minutes, the Barns came into view.

“Shit, Parrish!” Nicky calls, standing up and peering out the window. “You weren’t kidding when you said you lived on a farm.”

“This entire place is your boyfriend’s?”

“And I thought my house was big . . “

“You can just park right there,” Adam says, directing Wymack. He tries to ignore all of the questions and attention — Adam isn’t a fan of attention. Plus, his mind is too focused on Ronan to answer any of these questions. He hasn’t seen Ronan in nearly 2 months, and his chest is aching at the thought of him.

As the bus groans to a halt, the Foxes fill the aisle in anticipation. Adam leads the group off the bus. They all stop to grab their duffels from the undercarriage of the bus before following Adam towards the front door of the house.

Before he even reaches the porch steps, he hears a loud _kerah_. He whips around as Chainsaw lands on his shoulder, her feathers pressed against his cheek. The Foxes stare at him in confusion, surprise, and even disgust.

“Hey, girl,” Adam says, petting her gently.

The Foxes’ mouths are still agape. Renee walks up to Adam and tenderly lifts her hand towards the bird. Adam nods and she gently pets her. “You have a raven for a pet?” Aaron asks, incredulous. He hardly ever speaks to Adam, but something about Chainsaw must have gotten his attention.

“Uh, yeah. Her name is Chainsaw. She doesn’t bite,” he says, though it sounds stupid and he immediately regrets it. The Foxes’ slowly drop their varied expressions and follow him up the porch steps. Chainsaw flies off of him as the door swings open in order to land on her rightful owner.

Ronan Lynch stands in the doorway, looking the same as ever. Black jeans, black t-shirt, blank ink sneaking up his back. His hair is freshly buzzed and his eyes are piercingly dark as they settle on the Palmetto State Foxes. His gaze lightens up only slightly when his eyes land on Adam. Adam grins at him somewhat wildly before running to the door and closing the distance between them. Ronan drops his angry stare and hugs his boyfriend, his arms wrapping tightly around Adam. Adam buries his face in the crook of his neck. “I missed you,” he whispers.

“So did I,” Ronan says, planting a gentle kiss atop his boyfriend’s head. “We’ll catch up later,” he whispers. Adam nods and pulls away, gesturing to his friends. “This is my boyfriend, Ronan. Ronan, these are the Foxes.”

“Hi!” Dan chirps, stepping forward to introduce herself. “I’m Dan Wilds, the captain—"

“Cool,” Ronan groans, rolling his eyes. “Follow me.”

Adam shoots Dan an apologetic look, but she doesn’t seem too phased. They follow Ronan and Adam into the house, gawking at the strangeness of it all. Adam, of course, hasn’t told the Foxes about his boyfriend’s abilities, and doesn’t intend to. He hadn’t thought about the fact that half of the house was covered in dream objects when he volunteered it as the Foxes’ hotel. But too late now.

“Kitchen’s over here. Living room . . . Dining room,” Ronan says, flicking his hands in the direction of the rooms. He leads them upstairs to the bedrooms. There are only 4 rooms - the master and the Lynch boys’ old rooms - but Ronan’s rearranged everything to fit roughly 4 mattresses to a room. He’s outfitted each mattress with sheets, blankets, pillows and even towels. The Foxes stare in surprise at the preparation, probably wondering how so many beds ended up here. “You can divide the rooms amongst yourselves. Parrish and I will be in here,” Ronan finishes, gesturing to his parents’ old bedroom.

“Who’s this?” Neil asks, pointing to a picture on the wall. It’s a photograph from last summer, right before Adam left for college and Blue, Gansey and Henry set off on their road trip. In it, Ronan and Opal are wrestling in the grass as Adam looks on in fright.

“Oh, that’s Opal,” Adam says, smiling fondly. Opal, thank God, is spending the weekend at 300 Fox Way. Adam knew better than to keep her here while the Foxes were over. He misses her terribly, but he’ll visit her sometime this weekend. “She’s . . “ Adam doesn’t know how to finish the sentence. My kind-of-adopted-dream-daughter?

“My cousin,” Ronan interrupts. “She stays with us when her parents are traveling for business.”

Neil nods, accepting the lie without question.

“Well, I’m exhausted, so I’m going to bed,” Wymack says. “Thank you for letting us stay here, boys. I’ll see you in the morning.” He nods at the Foxes before picking the nearest bedroom and heading inside. He flops down on one of the empty beds and is out in seconds.

“So . . . got any alcohol?” Nicky asks, directing the question towards Adam and Ronan.

For the first time that night, a hint of a grin lights up Ronan’s face. “Follow me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first AFTG and/or TRC fic, so I hope it wasn't too horrible! I just really love these groups of characters and feel like they work well together. Let me know what you thought!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update! My life has been crazy and I haven't had a chance to sit down and write. Also sorry it's short and not that great....I guess I didn't really think through what I want to happen after the Foxes arrive at the Barns...so we'll see where this goes!
> 
> Thank you everyone for your kind reviews and kudos!! It's greatly appreciated :)

Adam had been with the Foxes when they were drunk multiple times. Adam had been with Ronan when he was drunk multiple times. But he had never been with both the Foxes and Ronan when they were all drunk at the same time. It was an interesting experience, to the say the least.

Everyone (except for Renee and Adam) was drinking, eager to let loose after a stressful week of classes and practices. They played games, danced to stupid songs, and explored the acres of land that make up the Barns. "Shouldn't we quiet down? Coach is trying to sleep," Renee said at one moment when the group got particularly loud.

"I promise you he won't wake up," Ronan said, straight-faced. Renee gave him a skeptical look before shrugging her shoulders and continuing her conversation with Andrew. Adam raised his eyebrow at Ronan. "Dream mattresses. Have an extra sound sound-proof feature. Figured it would come in handy."

"How do you think of this these?" Adam asked, nuzzling into his boyfriend's neck. Ronan just smirked.

Now, Adam sits on the living room couch next to Neil, both boys watching their boyfriends talk on the other side of the room, which is a spectacle itself. "What do you think they're talking about?" Neil asks.

"I have no idea," Adam whispers in awe. Both Ronan and Andrew are not the talkative type, especially with strangers. But somehow, after a few drinks, both boys wandered off together without any struggle. The two boys look comfortable in their conversation, almost as if they're old friends. 

"Ronan doesn't seem like the type--"

"He isn't." Adam folds his legs onto the couch, curling in on himself. "And neither is Andrew."

"Yeah," Neil agrees, sipping his drink. Adam has always been curious about Neil's drinking habits. He rarely ever drinks but when he does, he does it with care, like he's scared of drinking more than just a beer or two. Perhaps he is. Adam knows the rough outline of Neil's backstory - his knowledge patched together from news articles and miscellaneous conversations with the Foxes - though he doesn't know all of the details. But Adam doesn't pry; after all, no one questions his own backstory. 

"This house is . . . weird," Neil says after a while. Adam doesn't know how to respond. What exactly can he say? He can't just admit that his boyfriend is capable of bringing objects out of his dreams, or he used to be magically connected to a made-up forest, his best friend died then came back to life, and his ex-girlfriend-turned-friend is a psychic battery. The Foxes may be a unique bunch, but they're almost nothing compared to Adam's strange batch of friends.

"Ronan's dad was an inventor," Adam lies, a lie so engrained in his brain it comes out easily. Neil gives him a sideways glance, but doesn't say anything else. He just smiles, knowing that Adam's hiding something, and stands up. "I'm gonna go find where Nicky ran off to," Neil says, heading out the door. Andrew immediately notices Neil leaving and bolts out after him, always so protective, leaving Ronan and Adam alone in the living room. 

"Is everyone outside?" Ronan asks, walking over to the couch and sitting beside Adam. He uncurls Adam's legs and stretches them out over his lap.

"Yeah. I think Matt and Dan are checking out the stables, Nicky might have started a bonfire, and I don't really kno--" Ronan's lips crash against Adam's, soft and gentle yet simultaneously fierce and powerful. Adam presses closer to the other boy, wrapping his arms around Ronan's neck and pulling him closer. Adam's body heats up as Ronan's fingers graze the sides of Adam's face. He's missed the feel of those fingers. 

"You're an idiot, Parrish," Ronan growls against his lips.

"I know," he replies, attempting to kiss Ronan again.

But he pulls away slightly, not finished with his fake argument. "I haven't seen you in weeks and you decide to turn my house into a hotel for psychotic athletes," Ronan growls, biting into Adam's neck, making him moan. Adam tries to stop the sound, embarrassed, but it escapes, which only makes Ronan smile. 

"I know, I'm sorry," Adam whispers, his hands running over Ronan's short hair. "I can tell them to leave tomorrow if you wa--"

"No," Ronan says immediately, pulling away. He gently places a kiss on Adam's cheek, his lips lingering a second too long. 

"But--"

"You're happy with them."

Adam swallows hard. "I'm happy with you, too."

Ronan's eyes shift to the window, where the reflection of the bonfire flickers. "Yes, but this is a different kind of happy," Ronan sighs. "You're comfortable around them."

Adam doesn't quite understand where this conversation is going. "I'm comfortable around you, though. And I get to see them all of the time. I should have thought this through, I should have asked--"

"No," Ronan growls again. "I'm glad they're here."

"Really?"

"Yes, you fucker," Ronan says, nudging Adam in the side. "I like seeing you like this." 

Adam is touched by this rare piece of vulnerability from Ronan. He leans forward and kisses him softly, their lips barely pressing against each other. "I like seeing you in general."

"I know," Ronan smirks. 

The front door opens and Allison pops her head in. "Come on, you two. You're missing all of the fun!" she says, gesturing for them to come outside.

Adam looks at Ronan in question. He's spent all day with the Palmetto State Foxes. He should probably just head to bed and spend some alone time with his boyfriend. But Ronan stands up and heads towards the door. "You coming, Parrish?" Ronan says, holding open the door. Adam smiles and heads out the door, reaching backwards for Ronan's hand. 

The two walk together towards the makeshift bonfire and settle into the circle, where all the other Foxes are already gathered. There are bottles and cups scattered around them, half of the Foxes laying down in the grass in exhaustion, the others sitting on pieces of wood or old wooden chairs they pulled from the porch. When Ronan and Adam join the group, Nicky applauds them and Renee smiles brightly. 

"We were just saying how cool this place is," Dan smiles.

"It's like fucking Narnia here," Nicky adds. 

"Thanks," Ronan replies.

"You live here alone?" Matt wanders. 

"Most of the time, yeah," Ronan shrugs. Adam squeezes his hand. "My brothers sometimes stay when they're in town. And Opal, too."

"Do you go to college?" Renee asks, leaning forward.

"No."

"What do you do all day?" Kevin grumbles, almost accusingly. Adam shoots him a look but he doesn't react. 

"Whatever the fuck I want," Ronan replies, smiling mockingly at Kevin. Some of the Foxes laugh. Kevin keeps his face blank. 

"Did you grow up close to here, Adam?" Dan asks.

It's a tricky question. It's not meant to be too personal--the Foxes know their boundaries--but it's further than any of them have ever prodded. All Adam's really ever admitted about his past is that him and his family aren't close, and that his friends are his real family. 

"Uh, no. About 30 minutes away or so," Adam shrugs. Ronan places a gentle hand on Adam's back, steadying him. 

"How did you two meet?" Nicky says, finishing the rest of his drink. 

"School," Ronan grumbles at the same time Adam says, "Mutual friend." 

"Wow. What a riveting story," Allison snorts, laying back in the grass. 

"What a riveting personality," Ronan retorts back. Allison doesn't respond, but Adam knows she's probably smiling. Allison and Ronan will get along nicely. 

"I like you," Nicky says, pointing at Ronan. "You're like Andrew but with less of a hassle."

Ronan raises an eyebrow, watching as Andrew casually tosses his empty can at Nicky's head. Adam muffles his laugh. "I disagree," Adam smiles. "Ronan is very much so a hassle." 

"The fuck does that mean, Parrish?"

"Ooh, language," Dan teases. 

"It just means that you're not exactly trouble-free," Adam jokes, wrapping his arm tightly around his boyfriend. The others laugh and continue talking, eventually drifting away from the topic of Ronan to school and exy and politics and plans for spring break. Ronan listens patiently - something Adam is astonished by - and gets along with everyone. For some reason, Adam feels proud of this, like Ronan's just accomplished something major, though all he's done is been civil. But still, Adam feels good knowing that Ronan cares enough about him to get along with the Foxes. 

They eventually make their way back into the house, trashing empty bottles before climbing up the stairs sluggishly. The Foxes divvy up into different bedrooms and eventually all drift off to sleep. Adam curls against Ronan in bed, basking in the warmth of Ronan's skin pressed against his. He sleeps peacefully, and when he wakes up, Ronan hasn't dreamt up any nightmarish creatures, so Adam suspects Ronan slept well, too. 

When Adam heads downstairs to start making breakfast for the Foxes, Opal is sitting at the kitchen table across from Blue Sargent. 

"Adam!" Blue says, as Opal pummels into him, wrapping him in a hug. "Why didn't you tell me you were visiting this weekend? And why is there a huge bus outside?" 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Adam rocks back a little as Opal crushes herself against him. He wraps his arms around her, having missed her, and presses a quick kiss to the top of her head. Blue is still glaring at him, waiting for answer. “Why didn’t you tell me you were home?” he counters, though he knows Blue won’t let up. She raises one eyebrow and crosses her legs, waiting. Opal doesn’t let go of Adam. He sighs. “I didn’t think you’d be in town. And I’m not really here for myself . . I brought a bunch of friends.”

“Friends?” Blue scoffs. “You, Adam Parrish, brought friends from college to your boyfriends house? Willingly?”

Adam rubs one hand over his eyes, not in the mood to deal with this. “Go upstairs and get Ronan,” he tells Opal. With a loud kerah, Opal rushes up the stairs. “Yes, Blue, I do have friends,” he replies, heading over to the coffee machine to brew a pot. The coffee maker is a dream object (of course) that requires literally 0 ingredients or effort. Adam just has to click a button and Coffee magically starts streaming out of the small faucet. It tastes delicious. “They’re actually a team. An exy team. I tutor a lot of them at school, and they played UVA last night, so I figured they could stay here instead of pay for a hotel.”

“Oh. That was not the response I was expecting.” She pauses for a moment then glances out the window. “But it does explain the bus.”

He sits down in front of her and offers her a mug of coffee. She declines and instead gets up to make herself a cup of tea. Adam shakes his head. “They’re going to be here for the next few days so I figured I wouldn’t really have time to see you guys even if you were miraculously in town.”

“It’s Helen’s birthday tomorrow, so we had to drive home so Gansey could be there a family dinner or something,” Blue shrugs, picking at her shirt. She’s wearing an unsurprisingly strange ensemble today, and Adam can’t help but smile at it. He’s missed her. “Then I get home to find out that Ronan left Opal with Mom and then I’m stuck babysitting,” Blue huffs.

“Come on, you know you love her,” Adam smirks.

“Yes, but she also rarely speaks English and has a problem sitting still,” she laughs.

“Very true. If you want she can stay here . . . I’ll figure out a way to make sure the Foxes don’t notice anything’s off about her—“

“No, it’s fine, I’m just kidding. Enjoy your time with your ‘friends’.” She scrunches her fingers in air quotes, feigning jealousy.

Adam opens his mouth to respond, but stops as a hand lands on his shoulder. “Sargent. Why are you here?” Ronan asks, his hands gently pressing into Adam’s shoulders.

Blue rolls her eyes and gets up. “I just had to come and yell at Adam about not telling me he’s in town. That’s all, I promise. I’ll be going—“

“Hold it, maggot,” Ronan says, holding his hand out in a stop gesture, despite the fact that Blue has not moved an inch. She raises an eyebrow, waiting for him to say something. Adam twists around to look at him, expectantly. But Ronan doesn’t speak. He just keeps his palm pressed forward.

“Why exactly am I ‘holding it’?”

“Opal’s not ready to leave yet. You have to wait for her,” Ronan replies, as if it’s the most obvious answer in the world. Adam smirks. Blue groans.

“OPAL! COME ON!” Blue yells towards the staircase. “What’s she doing anyway?”

“She decided to change clothes.”

“Why?”

Ronan scrunches his face. “Why the fuck would I know, Sargent? Little girls are weird.”

“Ronan, go get her. And make sure she’s wearing shoe. I don’t want—“

“Yeah, yeah,” Ronan sighs, sauntering out of the room and upstairs.

“You can stay if you want,” Adam tells Blue.

“What about Opal?”

“It’s fine if they see her. As long as she acts normal enough. Which she can do if I bribe her with candy,” Adam smiles. Blue laughs.

“Well, I would like to meet your so-called new friends,” she smiles, abruptly standing up and walking two feet so that she’s standing in front of Adam. “I never gave you a proper hello.” She crosses her arms, tilts her head and waits till Adam stands up. He sighs and stands up, wrapping his arms around Blue. She squeezes him tightly, resting her head against his chest. “I did actually miss you, you know.”

“I missed you, too.”

“Aw, I missed you too,” someone says, wrapping their arms around the both of them, joining the hug. Nicky. Adam jumps back in surprise and Blue worms her way out. Nick stares at them with a large grin on his face. “What? Can’t a guy get some love?”

Adam shakes his head, embarrassed. “Nicky, this is Blue. Blue, this is Nicky.”

“Hi!” Blue smiles, extending her hand. Nicky shakes it, grinning wildly. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” (Which she hasn’t; she’s just being polite).

“Really? See, I always thought Adam had a secret crush on me, but now you’re just confirming it cause—“ Adam smacks him in the shoulder and Nicky holds his arms up in defense. “Kidding, kidding!”

“If you joke like that around Ronan, he’ll kill you,” Blue says. Nicky raises an eyebrow. “No, seriously.”

“She’s right. He’s a bit . . protective.”

“And slightly homicidal.”

“He is not.”

“Um…”

“Okay, I get it. I will not joke about my relationship with Adam in front of Ronan,” Nicky swears, holding up crossed fingers. Adam pinches his nose. “Now, where’s the food?”

“I’m about to make it,” Adam says, heading to the fridge. He grabs a couple cartons of eggs and bacon and gets working. Blue helps him, throwing some slices of bread into the toaster.

The Foxes trickle down over the next few minutes, none of them able to sleep in past 9:30 due to morning practices. Wymack comes down, too, but quickly tells them that he’s going to head out. Adam isn’t surprised; the coach spends enough time with these teenagers. He is surprised, however, when Kevin comes down a minute later and follows him out the door. Adam looks at Andrew questioningly. Andrew doesn’t respond verbally or physically.

“We can eat outside,” Ronan says, hopping down the stairs, a blanket in his arms, Opal on his trail. She’s dressed in a completely different outfit, with her hooves tucked safely into boots. She looks a little surprised at all the people here but (thankfully) doesn’t say anything. “Come on, athletes,” Ronan says, gesturing to the Foxes. They follow him out without question. Adam, Blue, Renee and Dan help bring out the plates of food. Everyone’s gathered on the blanket, a makeshift breakfast picnic.

“So, who are the girls?” Matt asks after a few moments of loud chewing from everyone.

“Oh, right,” Adam says, embarrassed. “Sorry, I was caught up with breakfast and I—“

“I’m Blue Sargent. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

“I like your outfit, Blue,” Renee says, smiling at her.

“I like your hair.”

“Thanks.”

The two girls smile at each other for a moment longer and Adam can’t help but smile, almost in pride. He’s so happy to see his two worlds colliding in such a calm, seamless way.

“This is Opal,” Ronan says, sloppily gesturing to her. “My . . . cousin.”

“Kerah!” she smiles.

“Right,” Matt smiles nervously. Blue holds back a laugh.

“So, did everyone sleep well?” Adam asks, desperate to change the subject.

“Holy shit, yes I did!” Nicky exclaims. “Those mattresses are better than the ones at school? Where’d you get them?”

“Dream Sleep Mattresses Dot Com,” Ronan replies dryly. Adam and Blue almost choke on their food.

“Why do you have so many?”

Adam looks nervously at Ronan, but he’s apparently planned out these answers ahead of time. "Some of the barns back there used to be a guest houses, so when we converted them, we kept all the extra mattresses in our house in case we ever wanted to convert them back. Or if we had guests,” Ronan lies flawlessly. If you thought hard about the lie, it made no sense, but Adam knew the Foxes (at least most of them) wouldn’t question it.

“We should get some extra beds for the Colombia house.”

“Yeah, my back always aches after sleeping on the couch.”

“If your back hurts so much you can sleep at someone else’s house,” Andrew snarls before shoving a strip of bacon in his mouth.

“I like your enthusiasm,” Ronan smirks, nodding towards Andrew. Andrew squints at him in confusion, shocked by Ronan’s response. Adam just smiles, setting his hand gently on top of Ronan’s thigh, giving it a squeeze.

“So, Adam, what is there to do around here?” Dan asks, shifting onto her knees.

“Uh, not much really,” Adam shrugs. “You’re probably better off driving into one of the nearest cities.”

“That’s not true!” Blue interjects. “Henrietta’s great! There are plenty of fun things to do here. Shop, see a movie, go to the park, grab a bite—“

“Go to Nino’s Pizza!” Ronan says over a mouthful of eggs.

“No, don’t go to Nino’s,” Blue says, shooting Ronan a death glare. “I mean, it’s basically like any other small town. And if you’re up for it, I’m sure Ronan will put you to work here.”

“Like farming? No thanks,” Allison rolls her eyes.

“You guys don’t have an exy court, do you?” Neil asks, hopeful.

“Actually, yeah,” Adam says, though he knows he shouldn’t encourage Neil’s slight exy addiction—Andrew is already glaring at him. “My old school has one. I don’t know if we’ll be able to get in, but I can try asking.”

“Let’s skip playing exy for a day, Neil,” Dan says, giving him a gentle pat on the back. “Why don’t we all go get dressed and then we can figure out what we want to do?”

“Didn’t Wymack take the bus, though?”

“We have cars,” Ronan says, tilting his head towards the driveway, where the BMW, Pig and another two cars—new ones Ronan must have dreamt up while Adam was away—sit parked. Andrew smiles maniacally at them, hungry to get a closer look. “Go get your shit together and come down when you’re ready.”

The Foxes pick up their plates and fumble through the doorway, racing up the stairs. Adam turns to Ronan curiously. "You're kidding right? Not only are you going to spend a day with them but you're also going to let them use your cars?" He shrugs casually. "You keep surprising me, Ronan."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Parrish," he whispers before pressing a featherlight kiss on the other boy's lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kind words and kudos! I'm glad you guys are liking it so far! 
> 
> I won't lie, I lightweight have nooooo idea where this story is going. There's not really much of a plot...it's more just the characters "existing" together, if that makes sense. So sorry? I'll keep writing though if you guys still enjoy it. Let me know!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all of the kind words!! I'm so glad you guys are liking this. Sorry this chapter is relatively short. I haven't had much time to write.
> 
> (also I cannot remember anything about what there is in Henrietta as I haven't read the books in a while so I'm sorry if none of this is plausible!!)

Adam sifts through his suitcase, pulling out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He strips out of his pajamas, which consisted of a different t-shirt and Ronan's sweatpants, and starts to change. "Are you sure you're okay with all of this?" he asks, sliding his jeans on. Ronan sits on the bed across from him, already dressed, tossing his phone between his hands. Adam's surprised he even has his phone with him, but doesn't question it. 

"Yes, Parrish," Ronan says, his eyes following his phone as it flies in the air. 

"I just want to make sure th--"

"I'm  _fine,"_ Ronan growls, catching his phone and snapping his head up. 

"I'm sorry," Adam whispers, his hands mindlessly buckling his belt. 

Ronan tilts his head, a signal for him to come closer, and Adam obeys, closing the few feet between them. He stands in front of Ronan, in between his legs, and looks down at him. Ronan looks up. "Stop apologizing," Ronan whispers, his hands wrapping around Adam and pulling him down for a kiss. Adam smiles against his lips, sitting on Ronan's knee, and curls into the other boy. Ronan's hands run up and down his bare chest, sending sparks through Adam. The two haven't had a proper reunion yet, and both boys are hungry. They kiss like they never will again, holding onto each other with slight desperation. 

Adam is the one to pull away first, his breath shaky. He presses his forehead against Ronan's, his arms still wrapped around his neck. "Tonight, okay?" Ronan makes a noise of agreement before placing a quick kiss on Adam's noise. 

Adam stands up and finishes getting dressed, shrugging his t-shirt on and slipping into his worn-out sneakers. Ronan is already at the door, holding it open for him, and the two head downstairs to meet the others. 

The Foxes are standing in a circle in the living room, debating where to go. "Well,  _I_ think splitting up is the best plan." 

"But this is supposed to be a group thing!"

"We have two wholes days for 'group things' ! This morning, I want to shop," Allison proclaims proudly. Dan nods along with her, a smile on her lips.

"Seriously? Shopping?" 

"Yeah, why not?"

"I'd love to take you guys shopping," Blue smiles at the girls. "There are some really cute stores around here." Adam smiles at the idea of one of the Foxes dressing like Blue. It's hard to imagine. 

"See? Purple agrees," Allison shrugs. 

"It's Blue." 

"Yeah, whatever. Let's go shopping, okay?" She looks to the other girls, who all nod enthusiastically, even Blue (despite being insulted seconds earlier). "Great. You boys go do something boy-ish, and then we can meet up as a group. Sound good?" 

"Sounds good to me," Dan smiles. "You want to come with us?" she asks Matt, who doesn't look so thrilled with the idea of joining the monsters for the day. 

"Yeah, I guess." 

"Great, so what are  _we_ doing?" 

"Why don't we go see a movie?"

"Seriously? We can do that anywhere," Nicky argues. 

"Yeah but that new movie you wanted to see is out," Neil adds.

"Which one?" 

"The one with the two guys who go to Australia or something?"

"Oh shit! That's out? It's supposed to be fucking hilarious!" Nicky says, suddenly excited. Neil rolls his eyes. "You guys wanna see that?"

Since no one else in the group cares nearly enough to object, they all agree. 

"Great. After that, why don't we all meet up at the pool?" Dan suggests, her arm tightly wound around Matt. 

"We probably don't want to go to the public pool," Blue says, looking towards Adam and Ronan. 

"You can call Dick. He can get us into Aglionby's pool," Ronan says. 

"Isn't school in session?" Blue counters, though she takes out her cell-phone. 

"Doesn't matter. If Gansey's asking, they'll do anything," Adam smiles. 

"Alrighty, then," Blue says, stepping aside to call her boyfriend. 

"Where's Opal going?" Adam asks, looking to the couch, where Opal's flipping through a magazine, tearing out certain pages. Andrew smiled at the sight of it, intrigued by the dream girl. 

"Shopping!!" she screeches and half of the Foxes jumped in surprise. Adam shifted his gaze to Blue, a silent question. Blue just smiled, willing to take on the challenge that is Opal for a day. 

"Come here, brat," Ronan says. He pulls her aside and Adam watches as the two have an intense conversation, Ronan probably ensuring that she behaves as normal as possible. 

"What language is that?" Matt asks, curiously peeking his head around Dan to watch them. 

"Uh, Latin," Adam says, clearing his throat. 

"They speak Latin?" Nicky says in awe at the same time Neil asks, "Why?" 

"It's a family thing," Adam lies mindlessly. "The Lynches are really big on Latin."

"Interesting." Neil doesn't seem to be buying it, but he doesn't argue any further. Ronan pushes Opal into the circle and looks up at everyone. "Let's go." 

* * *

Blue takes the girls (and Matt) into the Pig. The car is not built for a lot of people, so the Foxes have to squeeze. Renee sits in the front with Opal on her lap, happily petting the strange girl. They wave out through the window and drive off. Adam swallows the urge to tell Blue to turn around and drop Opal off with him. 

"That car was way too quiet," Andrew grumbles, and Aaron nods along with him. The twins rarely agree on anything, but the two are both quiet familiar with cars. Adam worries that one of them will question the car's silent engine further, but that's all that's said on the matter. 

One of Ronan's new cars is a large, black truck, its exterior sleek and shiny and new. Adam wonders if Ronan dreamt up this car specifically to house the Foxes, but then dismisses the idea: Ronan had been talking about getting (well, dreaming) a bigger car over the summer. The boys pile into the car, the twins and Nicky admiring it as they slide into the back. Ronan drives, of course, and Adam sits in the passenger seat. Ronan drives with one hand, his other hand gently clasping Adam's. 

"So how do you afford so many cars?" Nicky asks.

"Nicky!" Adam scolds, snapping his head back. 

"What? I'm just asking." Adam gives Ronan's hand an apologetic squeeze, but the other boy seems unfazed. 

"Is he always like that?" Ronan whispers, and Adam nods. Ronan tilts his head back slightly towards Nicky. "I'm a famous porn star. Easy way to make some money," Ronan says, straight-faced. 

Adam bursts out laughing, his cheeks flushing red. Nicky laughs loudly, taking a second-too-long to realize that Ronan is joking, and even the others chuckle at it. 

The rest of the ride goes pretty smoothly. The movie theater isn't that far from the Barns, but there's still a lot of time to fill. Adam turns on the radio, but not out of necessity. Nicky keeps the conversation going, asking Ronan various questions and talking excitedly about everything and anything. Adam can tell that Ronan is slightly annoyed by Nicky -- he's very similar to Cheng --but he hides it well. Andrew even joins into the conversation at one point (of course to tease Nicky), but Adam knows that's a good sign. 

They arrive at the cinema, which is practically deserted, and purchase their tickets. Nicky gets a gigantic vat of popcorn. Adam gets a Coke. They all file into the theater, which is empty albeit three boys who sit in the fourth row. Adam thinks they're ditching school. 

The movie isn't great, but it isn't bad. Adam laughs a few times, and he can hear the others giggling beside him. Even Ronan smiles once or twice. Adam doesn't pay much attention to the plot -- it's rather cliché and impossible -- but he enjoys just sitting there, in the dark, between Ronan and Neil. His hand stays pressed against Ronan's thigh the entire movie, and Ronan's arm is tightly wrapped around Adam's shoulders. Adam leans into his boyfriend, grateful for him, and focuses on the sound of Ronan's breathing as opposed to the dialogue of the film. When the movie's over, Adam feels somewhat empty when he has to detach himself from Ronan's side. Ronan can somehow sense this and makes sure to stand close to Adam as they walk out of the theatre, interlocking their hands and pressing their shoulders together. Nicky rambles on about his favorite moments of the movie, with Neil occasionally pitching in, as they load back into the truck. 

Adam checks his phone - a graduation gift from Ronan, of course - and sees that Blue's texted him.  **Gansey said we can use the pool. Just have to sign in at the office.** He texts her back:  **Great, thanks, Blue. We'll meet you guys there.** He turns back to the Foxes. "Someone should text Kevin and let him know where we are," he says. 

"He's back at the house," Andrew says, his eyes locked on the window. "He texted me during the movie."

"Should we pick him up?" 

"Probably," Andrew shrugs. Adam shakes his head and tells Ronan to drive back to the Barns to pick him up. 

The car ride back is quieter, but not unpleasant. The silence is comfortable, and Adam feels good about it. 

The good-feeling goes away when they get to the pool and head to the changing rooms. Adam, in all the craziness of this visit, has completely forgotten what swimming entails: wearing swim trunks. There's a sinking feeling in his stomach as his friends pile into the bathroom and start to change. He places a hand over his chest, feeling for one of the most pronounced scars he has, and shivers slightly. He had not thought this through. 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. College is starting back up and I had to pack/travel/move-in/etc, so it's been crazy. Thanks for the kudos and reviews; they mean A LOT to me. I love hearing your thoughts on the story, so thank you for the support.
> 
> Sorry this chapter is a bit short. Hopefully the next one will be longer (and I'll try to update sooner!)

The other guys start to change immediately. Adam, however, stares at Ronan as he undresses, pulling off his t-shirt to reveal black ink snaking up his tanned skin. Usually the sight would make Adam feel flustered, but right now all he feels is a cold dread. He watches as Ronan unzips the backpack he brought and shoves his t-shirt inside, pulling out his swim trunks. He begins to swap his jeans for the swim trunks, and Adam looks away. The other boys are all changing, too, shoving their bags and clothes in lockers and slipping into suits. Andrew sits on the bench in the middle of the aisle, already dressed, with his arm bands still on. Adam looks to Neil, who is in the process of untying his tennis shoes. He's already changed and Adam is surprised to see the sight of his bare chest. It's very similar to Adam's, only much, much worse. 

"Hey, you good?" Ronan says, flicking his bag into a locker and slamming it shut. 

"Huh? Yeah, just . . uh . . . "  He lowers his gaze, unsure of how to finish the lie. Ronan takes his hand and gently squeezes it. 

"Come on, Parrish," he says, kissing Adam's knuckles. "No one gives a fuck. Have you seen Frankenstein over there?" Ronan tilts his head towards Neil, and Adam gives him an angry look. 

"I know, I know, I just . . . The Foxes know all about Neil," he whispers, pulling Ronan close. Luckily, the other boys have started chatting about miscellaneous stuff and Adam isn't the only one talking. "They know his backstory. They've seen him like this for months now. But with me . . they don't know about my past. I want to keep it that way," Adam murmurs. Ronan strokes his thumb gently across Adam's cheek. 

"You're such a fucking idiot, Parrish," Ronan breathes against his lips before kissing him quickly. He pulls away after a moment. "I'm going to swim. Come out when you're ready, okay?" he says and Adam nods numbly. He knows Ronan isn't going to sit here and pity him and give him a bullshit pep talk, and he loves him for that. 

"This way, coyotes!" Ronan hollers, leading the boys towards the exit. 

"Foxes," Kevin grumbles, which makes Ronan smile wider. 

Neil starts to follow Andrew out but then sees Adam, who is sitting on the bench, fiddling with the zipper on his backpack. He lingers, motioning for Andrew to continue on without him.  "Adam?" The raven boy's head pops up at the sound of his voice. "Yes?" 

"Aren't you going to come outside and swim?" he says, coming closer. He leans up against a locker so that he's opposite Adam. Adam now has a good view of his scars. He can see that they're definitely much worse than his - not solely inflicted by fists or belts, but by weapons far deadlier than Adam has ever faced. It almost pains Adam to look at them, at the ridged lines and colorful bruises that paint patterns on Neil's skin. The only solace is that neither of their wounds are fresh. 

"I'll come out in a second," Adam says. "I just don't think I'm going to swim."

"Why not?" Neil's reply is quick, as if he had expected Adam's reply. Perhaps he had. 

"I'm just not in the mood," Adam says, his gaze flicking towards a particularly bad wound on Neil's chest.

"Is it because you have to take your shirt off?" Neil asks, casually. Adam swallows hard, trying to hide his surprise. 

"What?" 

"You know, you and I have very similar pasts, as far as I can tell. I've been watching you, Adam, since you first started hanging out with us. I know the signs when I see them," Neil says, cooly calmly. 

"What signs?" Adam says, standing up, a little intimidated, almost fearful. 

"The way you twitch when Wymack yells too loudly. Or shrink back when Matt pats you on the back. I was the same way when I first got here." Adam doesn't know what to feel. Is Neil opening up to  _him?_ Is this is a dream? No. It's not. Adam knows how a dream feels and this is most definitely real. He swallows again. Shoves his hands in his pockets. Tries to keep a blank expression. "Look, I don't know your whole story, and I never have to. None of the Foxes do. We don't ask questions and we never will. If you want to tell us, one day, about whoever hurt you, we'll be here. But if not, that's okay too."

Neil gives him a soft smile before turning away and heading out of the locker room. Adam watches him go, his mind racing, unsure of what just happened. Neil is usually very distant, and this rare bit of intimacy and understanding leaves Adam feeling confused. Confused, but also a lot better.

He takes off his shirt, changes into his trunks, and stands in front of the mirror. He doesn't look too bad - it's been over a year since his father's last beating - but the remnants of scars and bruises are still visible. From afar you may not notice anything, but up close (and under the Foxes' careful eyes) they're hard to miss. He gingerly touches his chest before letting out a deep sigh. "Fuck it," he shrugs and heads out the door. 

Aaron is laying on a lounge chair, FaceTiming someone, presumably his girlfriend. Kevin is swimming laps (of course) in the sectioned-off lane. Ronan is sitting at the bottom of the pool, probably testing how long he can hold his breath (because he's a child). Nicky, Andrew and Neil lean against the side of the pool, talking. Adam slips into the pool without a word. He notices Neil's small smile and Andrew's curious gaze and Nicky's wide eyes, but doesn't say anything. He just swims over to where Ronan is sitting and kicks his foot in front of his face, a signal for him to come up. 

Ronan's head bobs above the water, splashing Adam. He doesn't show any sign of emotion at Adam's appearance in the pool. Except maybe a bit of anger. "What, Parrish? I was almost at three minutes." 

Adam flicks water at him, laughing. "Are you training to be a merman or something?" 

"No, shithead," Ronan argues, splashing him back. The two get into a brief water fight, to which Nicky joins in (of course; Nicky is also a child, despite being the oldest). Andrew watches in amusement. 

"Seriously? A water fight?" someone says, causing the boys to stop spraying each other. Adam turns around and sees the girls (plus Matt) standing at the entrance. They've already changed. Blue is sporting a strange mixture between a swimsuit and a dress, and she's looking at the boys judgmentally. "You guys are in  _college_ and you're splashing each other? Boys . . " she groans. 

"Nice to see you, too!" Ronan calls. She just rolls her eyes. 

The girls spread out and join in the fun. Renee and Blue, now clearly friends of sorts, dip their feet in the water and talk, with Nicky occasionally joining in when he comes up for air. Andrew and Neil head over to the lap lane so that Neil can join Kevin; Andrew times the two boys as they swim back and forth, racing. Allison pulls a chair up to the edge of the water and lies face down, tanning. Opal sits on the edge of the pool, her legs crossed, and watches in envy. 

"Why isn't your cousin swimming?" Matt asks. Him and Dan are hanging with Ronan and Adam, just treading water and chatting. "Does she know how?"

"OF course she knows how, she's not stupid," Ronan says defensively. Adam places a calming hand on his back. 

"Uh, she's actually a little scared of the water."

"She doesn't look scared," Dan muses. "She actually looks pretty sad that she's not swimming."

"Oh, does she?" Adam wonders, trying to hide his worry. 

"No, she got over that while you were gone, Parrish," Ronan says, unamused. "But I told her she wasn't allowed to swim if she didn't eat real food." The lie is smart; Adam plays along. 

" _Real_ food? As opposed to what?" Matt mutters as Adam rolls his eyes, ignoring him. "Did she not eat with Blue?"

"Nope. They stopped for lunch but all Opal wanted was her napkin," Ronan grumbles. Dan and Matt exchange a confused look, but neither of them seem to notice. They're too focused on parenting their dream-daughter. "So I told her she couldn't swim. Blue tried to force her to eat a sandwich but she wouldn't do it."

Adam has forgotten that this is all a cover story.  "And when did Blue tell you this?" 

"She texted me."

"Wait, she  _texted_ you and you  _answered?_ Is this real?" Adam giggles deliriously, shoving Ronan back into the water. 

"Shut up, Parrish," Ronan replies, shoving him back. "Opal takes precedence over my refusal to use my cell-phone," he sneers, though he's smiling. The two of them continue to fight in the water, tackling each other and twisting in the water. Eventually the two end up kissing underwater, Ronan pressing Adam against the pools floor, kicking his legs to keep them from rising. 

When the boys rise from the water, lips still pressed against each other, Opal has managed to slip out of sight. Adam looks at the spot she previously occupied. "Wait . .  where'd she go?" he asks frantically. 

Both he and Ronan whip around at the sound of a loud  _kerah!_ piercing the air. They watch as Opal, her boots kicked off to reveal her hooves and her sweatshirt thrown aside so she's in a tank top and skirt, charges towards the pool. The Foxes all watch in awe and confusion. Allison lifts up onto her elbows to watch. Kevin and Neil stop their laps at the noise. Blue's eyes go wide in fear. Even Aaron watches with some semblance of emotion. 

"Fuck," Adam murmurs as Opal cannonballs into the pool. 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys....once again, sorry for such a long delay in the chapter. I know I said I'd try to update sooner but school has been crazy with auditions and such and I've been swamped. Thank you though for your wonderful/constant reviews and kudos!! It really does mean a lot to me :) 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not speak Latin so I had to rely on the very-inaccurate Google Translate so forgive me. I also couldn't remember precisely how to describe Blue's psychic-battery thing so sorry if that's not the best description either.

Adam's head pounds. 

He closes his eyes and tries to breathe as a cacophony of noise erupts around him.  _What the fuck? Did I really just see that? What is going on? Were those_ hooves _?_ Questions both whispered and yelled amongst the Foxes as Ronan's hand on Adam's back grips tighter around him. He opens his eyes as Ronan takes off. 

He dives into the water and quickly grabs at Opal, who struggles in his arms, squirming in fright, water splashing her face and clogging her lungs. "You fucking piece of shit!" he's growling, wrestling her towards the edge of the pools. The Foxes don't speak. 

"Ronan--" Adam interjects, worried for Opal. 

" _Quid cogitas_?" he yells at her, wrangling her out of the water. She pouts, her wet hair plastered against her pale skin, cheeks flushed. "Stultus es?" Ronan pulls her towards the locker rooms.  Blue locks eyes with Adam and gets the message -  _make sure he doesn't go too far -_ and follows them. 

" _Ego voluit ad natandum_!" she screeches before disappearing behind the closed door. Adam stares at the locker rooms. 

It's silent for a moment. Adam's breathing is loud and shaky; he feels as if everyone can hear it. He tries to steady his breath but to no avail. 

"Adam?" someone says softly, gently. Adam lets on a long breath before turning around to face the Foxes. They have all gathered closer together, coming from their various spots around the pool to a messy circle near Adam. Aaron and Allison, who were laying on chairs, have stepped to the edge of the pool, dangling their feet in, anxious for some sort of explanation. 

"Um . . I don't . . fuck," Adam mumbles, struggling to come up with the correct words. How does he even explain this? Where does he start? Does he have to say everything? Is there even a semi-plausible lie he could use to cover it all up? 

He's still running through the possibilities when Andrew speaks. "I knew there was something weird about that girl." Neil nudges him in the side, though he's hiding a faint smile. 

"Okay but nobody expected  _that_ ," Nicky replies, gesturing towards the door. "I mean, did you see her legs? How di--"

"Shut up, Nicky," Dan snaps. She turns to Adam, who is still struggling to speak. "You okay, Parrish?" Adam nods meekly. "Okay, so here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna tell us what exactly we just saw, and then we're going to continue this trip like nothing ever happened. Sound good?" Dan asks, looking towards all of the Foxes. Nicky opens his mouth to object, as he's always full of questions, but promptly shuts it at Dan's all-business expression. 

The Foxes mumble their approval. Adam nods. Dan raises an eyebrow at him, waiting. "Oh . . . uh, so, as you've probably realized, Opal is not Ronan's cousin. And she's not completely . . . human."

"No shit, Sherlock," Andrew grumbles. Adam scowls at him. 

"She's from . . . well, it's hard to explain, but . . . fuck, I guess--she's from a dream," Adam blurts out. He wanted to keep Ronan's ability out of this but there was no possible way to do that. Adam pinches his nose, angry at himself for getting into this situation - for bringing  _Ronan_ into this situation - and instantly regrets his decision to bring the Foxes here. 

"A dream?" Renee asks, genuinely curious. 

Adam swallows hard. Scratches his head. "Um, yeah. Ronan's dream, actually." 

"You're not making any sense, Parrish," Kevin barks. 

"Calm down, man. Give him a second," Matt says to Kevin. Kevin rolls his eyes, but doesn't speak again. "Take your time." 

"Thanks," Adam tells him. He takes a deep breath before launching into it. "Ronan can pull things out of his dreams. Objects. People," Adam starts. He looks at their faces, trying to gage their reactions, but most of them have pretty good poker faces. "Opal was in some of his dreams a while back and he . . . he didn't mean to pull her out but sometimes the dream world . . sometimes he can't control it. And so she just showed up here. And we take care of her." 

"She just . . . appeared? How does that work?" Neil asks. 

"It's confusing. If you're watching it - I mean, watching Ronan dream - it's like one minute it's just Ronan and then the next minute there's a dream object beside him. But when you think about it, you can't really remember the object materializing. It just  _is."_ Adam feels self conscious talking about it. Over the past few months, dreaming has become something much more intimate between Adam and Ronan. Adam loves to just watch Ronan dream and then discover items littering their bed. It's a window into Ronan's mind, and Adam can't get enough. "I don't know . . . it's hard to explain." 

"Fuck," someone mutters. 

"What else has he dreamed?" Allison asks. 

Adam fights back a life. "You should be asking what  _hasn't_ he dreamed," Adam smirks. "Pretty much everything inside the Barns, except for things like food, clothes, and some furniture."

Andrew makes a weird noise in his throat. "The cars. I fucking  _knew_ there was something off about them." 

"Yeah," Adam nods. "And Blue's car doesn't have an engine. It's runs on, well, nothing." 

"Seriously?" Renee asks, in awe. "No gas? No nothing?" 

"Yes. The ultimate green car," Adam smiles, his anxiety slowly melting into the water. 

"What about my green car?" Blue smirks, closing the locker room door and strutting towards the others. She eases into the water and comes next to Adam. She places her arm around him, squeezing him tight. She's all smiles, which makes Adam feel better. This isn't as horrible as he thought. "So, everyone up to speed?" The Foxes all mumble their responses, still a bit shocked. 

"I still have some questions . . ." Nicky starts, raising an eyebrow at Adam for permission. He nods; he might as well deal with Nicky's questions now as opposed to later, considering they  _will_ come up again if ignored. "This means that magic exists, right?"

Blue and Adam share a look; this is a tricky question. "More or less," Blue shrugs. 

"Do you know any other people with these kinds of powers?" 

Adam swallow hard. "No," he answers too quickly. He _really_ doesn't want to delve into his past with Cabeswater. But the Foxes see right through him. 

Luckily, Blue has it covered. "Adam, it's okay," she says, lightly. "I don't think you could refer to it as a  _power,_ but I'm sort of a psychic battery." Adam gives her hand a gentle squeeze in thanks. She squeezes it back as others fire questions at her. 

"Okay, what does that mean?" 

"Basically I enhance any psychic abilities. I make things clearer. Easier to read," she shrugs. 

"So there are psychics here?" 

Blue rolls her eyes, thinking of her crazy family. "My entire family - all women, of course - is psychics."

"You're kidding, right?" 

"Nope!" She grins wide. Blue likes freaking people out.

"They have a business. Readings and tarot cards and such," Adam offers.

"Isn't it just a scam?" Neil asks. He doesn't mean to be offensive, but the question always bugs Blue, and Adam can tell.

She looks very pointedly at Neil. " _No._ It's not a  _scam._ Everything we do is very accurate." 

"And you help them?" Renee asks, intrigued. 

"Yes! When I'm there it's a lot easier for them to pick up on psychic energies and give a more accurate reading." 

"That's awesome!" 

Blue genuinely looks taken aback. "Oh. Thank you!" 

The group asks a few more questions - like which objects are dream objects, and can they all get free readings (no) - before they finally close the discussion and resume their afternoon at the pool. There's a weird tension in the air from lingering questions and unspoken thoughts, but everything feels normal. Kevin keeps swimming laps. Allison keeps tanning. Andrew keeps sneering. 

"I'll be back," Adam tells Blue, stepping out of the pool. He grabs his towel, quickly dries off, and heads towards the locker room. 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! Once again, sorry for the delay. Here is the FINAL chapter. It does not conclude with the end of their trip, as I don't think I could write 3 days worth of stuff, but I hope it's sufficient.

Inside the men's locker room, Adam navigates the walls of lockers and stalls until he founds his small family. Opal is curled up on a bench in fetal position, wrapped in a towel. Ronan sits on the floor beside her, calmingly stroking her forehead. Adam can tell from one look at her small, red face that Opal's been crying. Adam kneels down beside them and rests a hand on her back, squeezing gently. "Hey, sweetheart," Adam smiles at her. She looks away. Adam raises an eyebrow at Ronan. Ronan sighs and stalks off down the hall, though Adam knows he won't leave the locker room. He's probably listening from around the corner.

Adam waits a moment. Opal finally looks back at him. "I'm sorry, Adam." Her eyes are wide and glossy and looking at them makes Adam's heart break. "I didn't mean to ruin everything. I just wanted to swim." 

"I know," he tells her. "It's okay. I'm not mad anymore."

"Kerah is mad." Opal looks down, disappointed with herself.

"No he's not; not anymore at least," Adam assures her. He won't lie, he's still a little bit mad. Although the Foxes took it well (of course they did, they're the _Foxes_ , they can handle anything), he still wishes they hadn't found out, and especially not this way. But he knows that Ronan already gave her a hard time, and he doesn't want to ruin the weekend home he has, so he let's it go. Letting things go is so much easier than holding in anger, Adam's discovered. 

He plants a gentle kiss on her forehead and she smiles a very small, barely-there smile. "Why don't you come outside? You can go swimming now."

She bolts upwards, almost hitting Adam. "Really?"

"Yes," Adam smiles. "But go put on your bathing-suit so we can let these clothes dry," he says, gesturing to the wet clothes still clinging to her. Opal grins with joy and wraps her arms around Adam, pecking him on the cheek. 

"Thank you, Adam!" she cheers before racing off to a stall to change. Ronan comes around the corner, face grim but not  _that_ grim. Adam smiles. 

"She fucking loves you," Ronan grumbles, coming close to him. 

"I know," Adam smirks. "And she loves you too." 

Ronan looks at the ground. Adam steps closer, placing a gentle hand on his waist. Ronan steps into his touch and wraps his own arms around Adam, embracing him. Adam rests his head against Ronan's chest, right in the crook of his neck. "What did you tell your friends?"

"The truth. I had to." 

"And how did that go?"

Adam chuckles. "Surprisingly well. It's hard to shock the Foxes." 

Ronan gently kisses Adam's head. "I'm sorry I let that happen . . . I shouldn't have let her come . . . I should have--"

"Ronan," Adam says, interrupting him and pulling away so they're face to face. "It's okay. It's not your fault." 

Ronan stays silent. 

"Besides, it's over. It's done. Let's just get back to enjoying our weekend together."

"Together with all of your college friends," Ronan sneers. Adam nudges him and Ronan lets out a shark-like laugh. Adam cuts it off by pressing his lips against Ronan's. Ronan responds immediately, tightening his grip on Adam's waist and pulling him closer, their bare chests touching. Adam's hands wander across Ronan's head and down his neck, across his shoulders, and Ronan shivers under his touch. Adam can feel Ronan pressing into his leg. He aches with wanting. "Tonight, remember?" 

Ronan growls against him. 

Opal races into view, showing off her swimsuit. It's one of Blue's old ones - Ronan protested to the idea of his daughter wearing any of Blue's clothing, but Opal fell in love with the bathing suit within seconds. She twirls around in it, excited to swim for real this time. She loves swimming and is surprisingly good at it, despite her hooves. "Let's go, let's go!" She cheers, urging the boys apart. Adam laughs, taking her hand and Ronan follows, grumbling. 

The three emerge back in the sunlight and Opal practically races for the pool. Adam winces at she cannonballs in, spraying Allison a bit. But no one seems to really mind. She surfaces and Renee immediately summons her over, talking to her excited eyes. It looks like she's teaching her a game, and soon enough, Renee, Dan, and Matt are playing with Adam's dream-daughter as if it's not weird at all. Adam can't help but smile at the image.

Blue bounces over to them. "Everything okay?" 

Adam and Ronan both nod, still staring at the scene before them. 

"Good," Blue smiles, wrapping her arms around the two of them. She places a gentle kiss on both of their cheeks before dashing back towards the pool and diving in. She swims over to Andrew and - miraculously - begins chatting with him. Adam gawks at the exchange.

"Come on," Ronan says, taking Adam's hand. "Let's go for a swim." 

* * *

 

Later that night, everyone sits in the yard outside of the Barns on picnic blankets, passing around tubs of ice cream. The dream animals, which had been hidden away earlier, now roam free throughout the Barns. Magical lights glow in the air. Music plays from nowhere. The stars are sharp and white.  

Nobody really talks. They all just sit there, leaning and laying against each other, hands and legs intertwined. Occasionally, someone speaks, but for the most part, they all just stay there together, breathing, existing. And it's nice. It's so wonderfully nice that Adam can't stop smiling. He feels like a Fox and a magician and a normal boy all at the same time. And when Ronan's lips are pressed against his, he feels like a dream. 

"I like your friends," Ronan admits, whispering it against his lips. 

Adam couldn't be happier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING!! 
> 
> Keep an eye out for more TRC/AFTG fics! I'm hoping to have some up within the next two weeks :)


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